Kick
by Ryann Winner
Summary: Something happens to Tai, and Kari has to come to terms with it. Slight Takari. I rated it PG only because of the context of the story


KICK  
By RyAnn Winner  
  
DISCLAIMER: Digimon or it's characters are not mine. However, the plot and poem are.  
  
I didn't really want my first fic on Fanfiction.net to be sad, but it will be explained down in my notes. Enjoy.  
  
  
  
"Hey, TK, wait up." TK Takaishi turned around at the voice that called to him. Kari Kamiya, his girlfriend was running down the hall toward him.  
Giving her a quick kiss, he greeted her. "Hey, sweetie."  
"I was wondering if you could come over and help me with this math. I don't care how many times the teacher goes over it, I just can't get it." TK and Kari were both in tenth grade. TK was in a higher math class than Kari and helped her out on numerous occasions.  
"I would love to, but I promised Davis I'd meet him at the arcade. They have a new simulator there based on the Digital World and we're going to check it out. I could, though, come over in the morning and help you." Even though it hadn't started that way, TK and Davis Motomiya were close friends.  
"That would be great. The math test is Monday. I had planned on studying this weekend anyway."  
"I though Tai was coming home this weekend." Tai was Kari's older brother. He was away in America going to school and playing soccer on a scholarship. Kari couldn't wait for him to come home. It was very rare he could come home.  
"He is. His flight arrives tomorrow afternoon. He'll get a ride from one of his friends home, and he'll be here until Tuesday."  
"How can you study with him there?"  
"Easy. He won't be there the whole time. He does have friends here."  
"That's right. Matt will be home this weekend, too." Matt Ishida was TK's older brother. He and Tai had been best friends for as long as anyone could remember. He was also in America, but he had a recording contract with his band. He had heard Tai was coming home, so he took a weekend off and came home. TK was so happy to see his brother again.   
By then, they had reached the arcade and went in.  
"It's about time, TV. Hey Kari. So that's why you were late. Been sucking face again, huh?"  
"Davis, grow up. We grew out of that a long time ago."  
"Ah, I know Kari. It's just that old habits die hard. Forgive me? I love you." Davis had long ago given up his crush on Kari. He finally saw it for what it was one day and realized she was indeed happy with TK.  
"Watch it, that's my girl, Davis." TK glared at Davis, Davis glared back at TK. Both put up their fists.  
"Oh my", Kari said in her best Southern accent, "whateve' am I to do. I have two guys ready to fight ove' me." She then put her hand to her forehead and wilted to the ground.  
By then, everyone in the arcade was staring at them. Kari suddenly opened her eyes, and all three burst into laughter. TK helped Kari up. She had to get going. She gave Davis a quick hug. Turning to TK, she found herself in a tight hug.  
"I'll be over about ten in the morning."  
"That's good. Bye you two. Don't get into too much trouble."  
"Us!?" The two boys said together and gave her innocent looks. She just laughed and walked out the door.  
  
"Kari, honey, TK's here."  
"Thanks, mom. Just tell him to come in here."  
A few minutes later, he walked in. She greeted him with a quick kiss, and then they started to work.  
"Now, what are you having problems with?"  
"Pretty much all of it."  
"OK, we'll start at the beginning of the chapter and work our way through it."  
Kari picked up her pencil and began to listen carefully as her boyfriend explained everything to her.  
  
Kari decided she needed a break, so TK decided they should go for a walk in the park and to get something to eat.  
When they arrived back at the Kamiya's, Kari could feel something was wrong. Her grip tightened on TK's hand. He looked at her in concern. Her normally light filled eyes had gone dim. Her usually happy demeanor had changed.  
"Kari?"  
"Something's wrong, TK, I can feel it."  
  
They walked in the house and stopped at the sight that greeted them. Mr. Kamiya had his arms around his wife, who was sobbing into his shirt. There was a police officer there and another man in a suit. Matt was there, along with Sora Takenouchi, both looking as lost as a child who can't find their parents.  
"Mom, Dad..."  
"Oh, Kari, honey. Matt and Sora came by shortly after you left. They wanted to be here when Tai got home. About the time he was supposed to be here, these two men showed up."  
"What does this mean?"  
"Kari, dear, there's been an accident..."  
Her father had to say no more. She knew what had happened. She had felt it. She just ran to her room and shut the door. TK followed her. He opened the door quietly. She had fallen on the bed face down. Her brown hair was covering her face. He walked over to her and brushed it and some of the tears away from her face. There was nothing he could say, nothing he could do for her except one thing. Lying down beside her, he gathered her shaking form into his arms and let her cry herself to sleep.  
  
"TK." TK woke to someone shaking him.  
"Matt. I guess I fell asleep. What time is it?"  
"Around eight. Everyone's here. Sora and I called all the others and they came right away." TK nodded. "How's she holding up?"  
"Well, after I came in here and laid beside her, she fell asleep. She hasn't woken up since."  
"She just needs to rest I guess. Come out and say Hi."  
"Okay, but I don't want to leave her alone too long."  
  
  
TK walked out into the living room and saw all the other people he called his dearest friends. Most were staring out into the space still not believing what had happened. Joe Kido and Mimi Tachikawa were sitting together on the couch. He was holding her while she wept. Izzy Izumi and Yolie Inoue were sitting on the floor with their arms around each other. Davis, Ken Ichijouji, and Cody Hida were scattered around the room. Matt, who had gone back to his regular spot, and Sora were sitting in the corner, consoling each other. They still couldn't believe their best friend and boyfriend, respectively, was no longer going to be there with them. The Kamiya's had gone to their room.  
"Hey everyone." They all looked up at him.  
"How's Kari?" This came from Davis.  
"She's still asleep. She fell asleep shortly after we got back, and hasn't woke up since. I hope she wakes up soon."  
"I'm sure she will. She's just had a huge blow. Her and Tai were so close."  
"Is that your professional opinion, Dr. Joe?" TK asked with a smirk.  
"Nope, just friendly opinion." Joe answered back with his own smirk. Everyone in the room just kind of slightly smiled. It was amazing how one could still find a bit of humor in them during a time of trials.  
"So, what happened?" TK asked, immediately returning the mood in the room to somber.  
Izzy was the one to speak up. "It seems he and his friend were coming here from the airport. They were driving along, when another car crossed the median going too fast, and hit them head on. Even though both were wearing their seat belts, the injuries were too severe. They died almost instantly."  
"Oh..."  
A soft gasp was heard from across the room. Everyone turned to see Kari standing there. TK and Davis both rushed to her as she started to collapse. Davis reached her first and caught her before she could hit the ground. TK finally reached them and took her in his arms. He started to carry her back to her room, but she said she wanted to stay in there with her friends. He obliged and Ken got up from the chair he was in and TK sat down with Kari in his lap.  
No one said anything. Everyone just sat there with his or her own thoughts and memories. After a while, Kari's parents came out of their room.  
"Thank you all for coming. It meant a lot to us that you were here. I'm sure Kari feels the same way."  
"Yea, I do."  
"Kari, honey, when did you wake up?"  
"Not too long ago." She sat there quietly for a few minutes, and then she was out of the chair with a sob. "Mama..." Ms Kamiya opened her arms to her child and Kari flew into them. Mr Kamiya wrapped his arms around both of them.  
Joe was the first one to say anything. Standing, he brought Mimi up with him. "We'll be going now." Everyone else nodded and went to follow them.   
"We'll let you know about times and places." Ms Kamiya told them as they left.  
"TK," Mr Kamiya started, "if you would like and it's okay with your mother, you can stay here tonight. I'm sure Kari would appreciate it."  
"Thank you, sir. I'll go call her now."   
Kari looked at her dad with tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Daddy."  
  
It was later in the night, when something woke TK. Kari's parents had said he could stay on a futon in her room. They had known him since he was eight, and they trusted him with their only daughter. He sat up and looked over at Kari's bed. She was awake. She was holding a picture of her brother and talking to it. TK wasn't sure what she was saying; she was talking just loud enough to make a noise. He got up and went to her bed. He reached out and put his hands on her face, wiping away her tears.  
"I miss him already. I just can't believe he's gone. I never got to say good bye. We hadn't seen each other in months, and I was looking forward to seeing him and doing things with him again. Now, I'll never get to do that."  
Now, Kari did something that completely took her boyfriend by surprise. She smiled. Okay, so it wasn't a happy-go-lucky smile, but it was a smile. Seeing that look on her face, with her eyes bright, her hair all around her shoulders, and a sad smile on her face, just made his heart ache with love for her.  
"But," she continued. "He is in a place where I know he is at peace. He isn't suffering, which he would have done if he had lived through the accident. He can play soccer anytime he wants to. Everything is as he wants it."  
She looked at the picture she was holding. It was Tai's latest soccer picture.  
"I know you thought I was talking to Tai, but I wasn't. I was saying a prayer, asking for peace. I wanted to know if he had suffered. I received my answer. That's why I'm happy, or as happy as I can get at a time like this. He didn't suffer. He's happy. That's why I'm at peace, because he is."  
TK didn't know what to say. Only his Kari would find happiness and peace because her brother didn't suffer and was happy now where he was. Most others would be blaming God, or finding someone else to blame. Not Kari, her concern was her brother, making sure he didn't suffer. That's why he loved her.  
"I love you, Kari. I'm glad you have found peace with this. I don't know if I could if I was the one in that position." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her temple. "Don't ever change."  
"I love you, TK. I don't think I could have done it without you here."  
"I didn't do anything. All I did was let you sleep."  
"No, you were here. I knew all the time you were here. Just your presence comforted me. I'm not strong without you."  
"I will always be near you, never doubt that."  
The two teens just sat there in each other's arms the rest of the night.  
  
TWO YEARS LATER  
"Kari, wait up." Kari turned around to see her boyfriend come running up to her.  
"TK, I'm so happy to see you." He just wrapped her in a hug and kissed her.  
"How you feeling?" It had been two years since her brother's death. Time had healed many wounds. There are times when it is harder than others, that is to be expected.  
"Okay. This time of year isn't the best, but I always seem to get through it with my friends' help. Especially my extremely cute boyfriend."  
Kari laughed at TK turned as red as a tomato.  
"Stop, you're embarrassing me."  
She just ruffled his hair and started walking again.  
They soon reached the park where a ceremony was to take place. They were naming a soccer field in Tai's honor. He had been one of the best players in Odaiba. Everyone thought it was only fitting.  
The ceremony started. Many people told memories of him. Some were funny, others were serious. There was one thing all had in common. It was their respect and admiration of Tai.  
Finally, it was time to dedicate the field. There was going to be a memorial set up with his name and a little about his soccer times. Tai's former coach stood up to speak.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, now we come to the dedication of Tai Kamiya Field."  
He reached over and pulled the sheet off the stone.  
"Now, his sister, Kari, will read the poem she wrote for the memorial. Kari."  
"Thank you Coach. I won't say anything else, just read my poem:  
Kick:  
For Tai  
  
It sits silently on  
the field in wait for you,  
hopeful for the kick to start it,  
put it into play  
and loft it through the air  
towards the goal like before  
  
Goalposts wait hushed:  
the net waves silently,  
blowing in the wind  
I feel your presence here  
on the field where you lived  
to play the game you loved  
So I run to kick the ball   
and hope it reaches you.  
  
When she finished she looked up into the crowd. Her family and friends were smiling through their tears. Everyone else just looked sad. Some were even crying. She couldn't find her boyfriend, though. She then felt strong arms around her. She turned to look into TK's eyes.  
"That was beautiful. He will love it."  
"You think?"  
"Yeah." She and TK turned towards the heavens.  
  
Unknown to them, a figure is watching it all from his vantagepoint. He slowly smiles his sly grin, pushes his messy brown hair out of his eyes, and starts to speak.  
"I did Kari. I loved it. Thank you. I miss everyone, but I'm glad to see everyone is doing well. Especially you, little sister. Take care of her TK. I'm counting on you. Bye Kari, I'll see you again someday, I promise." With that, he is gone. A net flutters in the wind.  
"Did you see that, Kari?"  
"Yeah, TK, I did." You see, up until then, there hadn't been a single breeze in the air. Not only was that the only breeze of the day, it only blew the net. There were no trees blowing, and neither teen could feel the wind. There was only one reason for this.  
"I miss you, too Tai. And we will see each other again someday. I promise, too."  
  
  
THE END  
  
Notes: Well, my first Digimon fic is complete. Reviews would be appreciated.  
The poem was actually written by me, in honor and memory of my brother who was also a soccer player. I just happened upon this the other day, and thought it would make a sweet, though sad, fic. I hope I did okay. I didn't really want to kill Tai, but that was the only way this fic would work.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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